Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh takes the field for warmups before the Orange Bowl against Georgia on Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Florida.

It’s been a wild offseason for Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh.

After leading Michigan to a Big Ten title and a spot in the College Football Playoff, Harbaugh flirted pretty heavily with a jump to the NFL before returning to Michigan and saying that he’s here to stay. While that remains up for debate, his Wolverines certainly have a lot to live up to in 2022 when they won’t have the luxury of sneaking up on anyone, especially Ohio State. And anything less than returning to the CFP will be seen as a disappointment to many.

Harbaugh stopped by MGoBlue’s “In The Trenches” podcast to talk about the upcoming season and shared that the elevated expectations that others have for Michigan are something that he shares.

“We’ve got to be better,” Harbaugh said. “When you’re a champion, all the other teams are scouting you. There’s a target on the back there in everything you do. Every run blocking scheme, every pass-protecting scheme … they’re already studying, but it amplifies that much more. You become the red-letter game. The game they have to win, need to win, and want to win. Yeah, more of a target not he back that way, so yeah, need to be better.”

Michigan looked dominant most of the season last year but did get beat pretty handily by eventual national champion Georgia in the CFP semifinals. So there’s certainly room to grow and improve for the Big Ten program. Whether or not they can do it remains to be seen.

[“In The Trenches”]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.